Yarn dyeing means



Sept- 1968 R. v. EVANS 3,401,542

YARN DYEING MEANS Filed June 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

RAYMOND v EVANS ATTOR NE Y8 P 1968 R. v. EVANS 3,401,542

YARN DYEING MEANS Filed June 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

RAYMOND V. EVAN 3 "PM "731mm ATTORNE Y8 United States Patent 3,401,542 YARN DYEING MEANS Raymond V. Evans, Feniscowles, Blackburn, England, assignor to Singer-Cobble Limited, Blackburn, Lancashire, England Filed June 22, 1966, Ser. No. 559,602 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 24, 1965, 26,791/ 65 Claims. (Cl. 68-202) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for dyeing a moving textile yarn at spaced intervals therealong, includes a moving support surface having a continuous channel or a plurality of aligned recesses, in the surface defining a dyestutf receiving formation extending in the longitudinal direction of the yarn, a feed means for the dyestuif arranged to apply discrete quantities of dyestutf to the said formations as required and a guide means which causes the yarn to move in alignment with, and to a position adjacent, to the said formation thus to take up dyestuff therefrom.

The invention concerns a yarn dyeing means and has particular reference to a means whereby measured quantities of dyestuif may be applied to a moving yarn at spaced intervals therealong.

It has previously been disclosed to provide an apparatus for applying dyestuflf to a yarn which includes a dye-station through which yarn under processing passes, and pneumatic means adapted to effect an intermittent feed of dyestuffs to such station for application to the yarn at spaced intervals therealong in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an alternative structure to that disclosed aforesaid.

According to the present invention, a yarn dyeing means includes a moving yarn support surface having one or more dyestuif receiving formations therein, dyestuif application means arranged selectively to feed dyestuif to the said formation or formations, and guide means arranged to control the position of a yarn relative to the surface thereby to cause such yarn to move into a position to receive dyestufl? from the said formation or formations.

Preferably a contact means is provided which defines, together with the moving surface, a nip through which yarn to be dyed passes.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate various embodiments thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of yarn dyeing means:

FIGS. 2 and 3 show two alternative forms of dyestuff receiving formations;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a porous roller, the roller being shown in broken away form; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a still further embodiment.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, a yarn dyeing means comprises a roller 11 mounted for rotation about an horizontal axis and defining a moving yarn support surface, a plurality of dye stuff receiving formations 12 formed in the said surface, dyestutf applicator means 13 arranged adjacent the said roller and having the outlet orifices thereof extended to a position adjacent the formations 12, yarn guide means 20 thus to locate the yarn 14 longitudinally of the roller 12 and a nip roller 15 in contact with the roller 11.

The roller 11 will have a rubber, plastic or other compressible surface 11a thereon, and the dyestuff receiving formations 12, will preferably be formed in such surface by moulding during the manufacture thereof.

The formations 12 may take the form of continuous, parallel grooves 12c in the surface of the roller 11 (FIG. 2) or [may be provided as discontinuous such grooves 12c (FIG. 3), the dimensions of each groove being determined by the quantity of dyestutf to be applied thereto.

The dyestufi' applicator means 13 comprises a plurality of applicator needles 13a each connected to an appropriate dyestuff reservoir 13b and extending to a position closely adjacent to the formations 12 to which the dyestutf is to be fed. If required, a multiplicity of applicators will be provided for each formation thus to allow of the feeding to any one formation of a plurality of colours, the said colours being applied individually or simultaneously as desired.

The yarn guide means is conveniently defined by the dyestulf receiving formations 12, the upstanding ribs on the surface of the roller which are present between successive grooves, whether such grooves are continuous (FIG. 2) or discontinuous (FIG. 3), serving to locate the yarns axially of the roller and to prevent shifting of the yarns. The nip roller 15 bears downwardly against the roller 11 and causes the yarns to move into the dyestuff receiving formations 12 thereby to improve the dyestuff take-up. The roller 15 is a ground roller, and a doctor blade 16 bears against the surface thereof, such blade removing from the said roller 15 any dyestuif picked up from the yarn or from the roller 11 and passing such dyestutf to a reservoir 17.

It has been found that providing a compressible surface on the roller 11 facilitates dyestulf transfer on passage through the roller nip (as in the case of a discontinuous groove), since the individual dyestuif receiving formation will be deformed and, thus, either the dyestuif will extend outwardly beyond the open end of the formation or will be caused to occupy an increased longitudinal extent of the formation (as in the case of a continuous groove).

A cleaning roller 18 is provided and bears against the roller 11 at the lowermost point thereof, the said roller 18 having a resilient sponge surface 18a thereto and being partially immersed in a detergent solution in a detergent bath 19. If preferred a solvent can be used instead of a detergent. The purpose of the roller 18 is to remove from the roller 11 and the dyestulf receiving formations 12 therein any dyestuff which has not been taken-up by the yarn in order that a clean roller surface might be presented to the applicator means 13. If necessary drying means 21 can be provided between roller 18 and applicator means 13 to dry the surface of roller 11 and thus avoid the ready migration of colours on application to the formations.

Dyestuif will be applied to the dyestutf receiving formations either continuously or discontinuously the control of the feed of dyestutf from the means 13 being effected in any convenient manner, and is transferred to the yarn on the passage of the latter through the nip between rollers 11 and 15.

The invention is not restricted to the exact features of the embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 since alternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the art. Thus, for example, the roller 11 may be porous in whole (as shown in FIG. 4) or in part and the interior of the roller is selected regions thereof be subjected to an increased (as at 22) or a reduced pressure (as at 23) such pressure variation, in the former case, assisting in the outward movements of the dyestutf relative to the dyestuff receiving forrnations as at dyestuif take-up or at roller clearing or alternatively, as in the latter case, assisting in the inward movement of dyestuif, as at dyestuif application to the dyestuff receiving formations.

In another embodiment (see FIG. 5) the support surface is constituted by the surface of an endless band 24 extending about an appropriate support means 25 therefor. Preferably the surface is moved at a linear speed corresponding to that of the yarn to which dyestuff is to be applied or at a speed substantially corresponding thereto.

If, desired, the nip roller will be provided with a resilient surface thereto whilst the surface of the roller 11 will be non-resilient.

What is claimed is:

1. A yarn dyeing means including a moving yarn support surface, at least one dyestutf receiving formation in the said surface, dyestulf application means arranged selectively to feed dyestuif to each said formation, and guide means arranged to control the position of a yarn relative to the surface thereby to cause such yarn to move into a position to receive dyestuff from the respective formation.

2. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 1, further including a contact means disposed adjacent the support surface and forming a nip therewith.

3. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 2, wherein the contact means comprises a roller disposed adjacent the support surface.

4. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 3, further includes a doctor blade which bears against the said contact means.

5. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 1, including a roller which defines the support surface aforesaid, and a contact means adjacent the said surface adapted to form a nip therewith.

6. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the roller has a resiliently compressible surface thereto.

7. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support surface, over at least a part thereof, is porous, and wherein means are included whereby the pressure applied to the reverse of the surface is varied thereby to influence the application of dyestuff thereby.

8. A yarn dyeing means including a tfirst roller, a plurality of dyestuff receiving formations about the periphery of such roller, dyestuif application means arranged selectively to feed dyestuff to the said formations, guide means arranged to control the position of a yarn relative to a respective dyestulf receiving formation, a second roller in contact with the first said roller and forming a nip therewith through which the yarn passes, the second roller having a resilient surface thereto, a third roller in contact with the first said roller, and a cleaning bath into which the said third roller extends and from which a cleaning media is transferable to the first said roller thereby to effect a cleaning thereof.

9. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said first roller has a porous surface thereto.

10. A yarn dyeing means as claimed in claim 8, wherein each dyestuff receiving formation comprises a plurality of dyestuffs receiving cavities.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,818 6/1929 Custers 68-202 1,845,775 2/ 1932 Zavertnik et al. 1,902,429 3/1933 WenZel 68-202 2,080,635 5/1937 Schramek et al. 68-205 2,303,171 11/1942 Morrision 118-203 2,398,844- 4/ 1946 Muggleton et al. 118-203 X 2,577,793 12/1951 Miller 118-234 X FOREIGN PATENTS 6,142 3/ 1898 Norway.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primaly Examiner. 

